Dominion of the Star (Descendants of the Fallen Book 1) Read Free Page B

uncomfortable,”
he said, nodding towards the blood that dripped through the pirate’s fingers.
    The blond followed his glance,
and then looked up at Kayla with a furrowed brow. He leaned his head in
Jeremy’s direction. “It’s really her, isn’t it?”
    “You don’t even know what
you’re saying. Go back to your ship, pirate.” Jeremy turned his back and began
walking.
    Kayla stared at them both,
frozen in her confusion. She felt a small hand slip into hers, and she looked
down to see Kittie’s smile again. The little girl was weighed down with a pack
half her size. “Let’s follow. We’re safe with him,” Kittie said happily.
    She looked away from the
smaller girl to stare first at Jeremy’s back and then into the pirate’s blue
eye. He looked pained and uncertain, almost ready to spring towards her. At
that moment, Jeremy stopped walking, his stillness watchful. With a low,
frustrated growl, the pirate retreated into the trees after his friends.
    Kayla pulled Kittie along with
her, rushing to Jeremy’s side, struggling to keep his pace. “You knew what that
guy was talking about, didn’t you?”
    He kept walking, staring
straight ahead. “They knew your name. You explain that. You could at
least thank me for saving you from pirates.”
    She swallowed the angry reply
she had prepared. He was right. This might not be her ideal situation, but pirates? He did defend her against that strange attack, and now she was free to continue
on her journey. “I’m…sorry,” she said softly, “thank you.”
    Jeremy didn’t reply. He kept
striding quickly forward, his face remaining motionless except for a slight
tightening of his jaw. They walked in silence for a long time, Kayla’s steps
determined and breath controlled, refusing to fall behind. Kittie trotted along
on her short legs, somehow keeping up and not showing any signs of tiring.
After a while, the little girl began to skip and hop happily between stretches
of her rapid steps, singing softly to herself. Her joyful spirit seemed
oblivious to the tension of her two companions, while their unease was
amplified by the glaring contrast.
    “Kit, would you just fucking
stop!” Jeremy barked.
    The violence in his tone made
Kayla cringe, her steps falling out of rhythm.
    Kittie was unaffected. “What’s
bothering you?” she asked, genuine concern in her expression.
    Jeremy kept walking, his teeth
clenched. After a few more strides he came to a sudden halt, a fierce growl
erupting from his momentary silence. His eyes were pale and wrathful as he
turned abruptly to face Kayla. “You don’t know why those pirates wanted you?
You really don’t know?”
    Kayla became still, her gaze
falling to the dirt and leaves at her feet, but she knew she couldn’t escape
him as she watched his dark, heavy boots approach, confronting her own worn
shoes. “I don’t. I don’t know what my name means to them.” She looked up to
meet his stare, suddenly unafraid. “None of it makes sense to me. Forget those
guys — nothing you’ve said, nothing you’ve done, adds up either. And that’s
fine. There’s something out here that I’m looking for, and I’m going to find
it.”
    His earlier fury disappeared as
he watched her with quiet interest. “It’s that important?” he asked coldly.
    Last night he had asked her this
same question before rescuing her locket from the bottom of the pit. Kayla
reached for her necklace. The familiarity of the burnished wood was a comfort
beneath her fingers. Her eyes met his again. “Yes. I have to do this,
regardless of the consequences.”
    Jeremy’s lips parted in a dark
expression of amusement. “Well, as long as you’re willing to face the fallout…”
He turned his back and began walking again, his steps brisk, but this time,
relaxed.
    Kayla hurried to catch up, and
then found herself easily traveling at his speed. She held on to her locket
with a tenacious grip; it was her only connection to the answers she